I’d recommend:
Read the English -> Read the Welsh -> Listen to the Welsh -> repeat… 
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Aye, going to do that right now!
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Especially for @Claudia_Beryan, but for every perfectionist out there:
Think: What do you want to be perfect at. If you have to be perfect in the moment, every moment, in every detail, then you are going to struggle at any new skill, because that’s not how learning works.
So open out your perspective a little, and understand: That little voice that says “that was wrong - you’re stupid”, or whatever negative message your need for perfection gives you; that little voice can help you, but it needs training. Think to yourself, what is the result that you want at the end of the process? In this case, it’s being able to speak and understand Welsh, to communicate effectively and maybe, to have people say “wow - you are good”.
So, train that little voice. When you are following the process - which needs you to make mistakes, which needs you to push yourself beyond what you know, what you are comfortable with - then say to your little voice “Yes! I’m pushing myself. I’m beyond my comfort zone. I’m learning.”
And when you are comfortable, use your little voice to say “wow, look at what I have already learnt. I need to learn more!”
Because perfection is getting to your absolute potential, and you won’t do that without getting a whole load of things wrong on the way. Perfection is getting to the brick wall, the absolute limit, and then just pushing on that little bit. Perfection is accepting where you are, and being able to move on from there, accepting that you are not perfect at something yet, and putting in the work to go from where you are to where you want to be.
To be a perfect learner, in any skill, not just language learning, is to be patient with yourself, and totally, strictly dismissive of excuses and impatiences. From my own experience, that is impossible, but if you’re aiming for it, then it helps you to get the perspective to see the excuses and especially the impatience, for what they are: the things that are holding you back!
And if you have that little voice that says “what if people laugh at me / take offence that I make so many mistakes”? Then remember, most people won’t push themselves through the barriers. By being willing to take the hits, the falls, and getting up again and agin, you’ll be way ahead of most other people. Most people will accuse you of genius, and being “a natural”, and mistake your hard work for luck. And the best of them will find you inspiring, and want to follow you. And there’s no “wow you’re good” better than that!
As a sometimes-reformed perfectionist who knows an awful lot about not doing stuff because it may not be perfect, I’ll leave you with a video that I always refer to when I’m concentrating on the wrong kind of perfection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx2nvIViZuY
Enjoy!
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Hi everyone 
I did start SSiW quite a while ago and did quite a few of the old lessons but had to stop 
However, I’m back and have started the new lessons. I’m stuck on Course 1 Challenge 3 because of “dechrau” (to start). Can someone help me with how to pronounce it because im finding it really difficult to pronounce and I keep tripping up which prevents me from saying the rest of the sentence in time which is kinda ruining the lesson for me
Any help would be appreciated
Oh My God, Lestyn, what have you done! I get all weak in the knees by man - tears (and this slight crack in the coache’s voice… 
). I love this video, it has the “goosebumps - factor”. Thank you very much for your reply! 
Yes, you’re so right, to be a perfect learner, you need to accept where you are, you need to debunk the excuses and impatiences and you need to be willing to putting in the work to go from where you are to where you want to be.
True, this little voice inside really needs training…and maybe it needs us to upload some new, positive and helpful messages. I once heard the sentence: “Well, your body finally believes what you keep telling yourself all the time.” Being aware of this, I’ve been working hard on convincing that little, negative jerk inside me to give me positive feedback, to see the things I’ve already achieved and not to concentrate on the mistakes and failures - or to consider the mistakes and failures important for the learning process, as Aran pointed it out. The little voice is a learner, too, so, I don’t expect it to function perfectly all the time…
Interesting…you know, I cannot remember anybody ever telling me “wow, you are good”. When I dare to think that something could maybe be worth being positively noticed by others, they usually don’t react at all. I know, it’s not good to expect things from others, I should be able to give myself what I need. Well, I’m working on this one, too. 
Oh, and I forgot to say that my mother always reminds me not to compare myself to others, but to work hard, in order to improve myself…at my own pace. And if it’s a snail’s pace, so be it, who cares. 
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where are you @heyimcallum? Are you OK with ch as in Scottish ‘loch’? ‘au’ varies north and south, east and west. @Iestyn? @aran? What would you advise?
Oh yeah should have mentioned that sorry 
I’m in England (midlands) and am learning Southern Welsh
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well i’d say ‘de’ as in deck, ‘ch’ as in loch, r, + ‘au’ like ‘eye’. de’ch’r’eye’ Any use?
Oh and Welcome back, Croeso 'n ol!
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Hi heyimcallum,
I’ve just checked the recordings. Both N and S have a similar pronunciation for dechrau. Luckily it’s also at the start of the signature song.
OK, so as Hendraig pointed out, the ch is as in Scottish loch. Also how Liverpudlian Rebecca Furguson (X factor) says her 1st name.
Miss out the u at the end of dechra(u): just ra for rat.
Dechra with a Scouse c
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I love Bruce Lee! 
Whenever I need a little bit of calm and meditative inspiration, I watch this video…in order to becoming a hell of a Welsh speaker. 
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Yes turning au to a is very common. In fact I suspect using the ‘eye’ sound may be an age thing! It wouldn’t be the first time someone has reported, “that’s what my Taid/Tad-cu/Granddad said!”
Well I venture to suggest they’re being unfair on their grandparents, then! The speakers that were the principal informants for Fyne-Clinton’s study of Bangor (and surrounding area) Welsh in pre WW1 days were all of fairly advanced years even then, and it is clear that he consistently heard -a for final -au throughout!
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Or, as I saw it put somewhere by someone:
“If a thing’s worth doing, it’s worth doing badly.”
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hangs head! to be honest nobody said that about dechrau, which I should have made clear! I jumped to false conclusions based on other examples. The only one i can instantly bring to mind is telewele for television!
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Evening pawb!
Mae eisiau i fi wybod dau peth…
Firstly, does anyone have Welsh versions of names for cheeky small people - affectionate ones, of course!
The only one I have ever seen is hen gena bach for little tyke from Harri Potter. What does that mean? Are there any other similar types of expressions that are well known about kids? Or must I go through the painful process of trying to literally translate my little fluffball/psychopath/escape artist/genius… ac yn y blaen?
Second thing - after one of those 24hrs where too much stuff happens, I wanted to say that things happen in threes, but I don’t know what the plural for three is. I’m stumped (which is actually fairly appropriate seeing as one of the three things was a tree in our garden keeling over dramatically in the middle of the night)!
As always, all thoughts appreciated!
Firstly, please do!!
“Bach”
“pwti”
“bychan”
“blod/blodyn”
“cariad”
Hope they help
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Literally - ‘little old cub’ - ‘cena bach’ is a pretty common sort of ‘cheeky monkey’ kind of endearment up around here… you might also hear ‘mwnci bach’, ‘dihiryn’ (scamp, rascal, which is usually ‘dihirod’ in our house since there are two of them)… cythraul bach, although that’s a bit stronger really (little devil, more or less)…
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Very helpful! Thank you @AnthonyCusack!
Although…[quote=“AnthonyCusack, post:2839, topic:3153”]
pwti
[/quote]
This one made me think twice - we hear a lot of colourful language in Spanish here and this sounds just a little like something else! With that in mind, I may hold it in reserve for less good days! 